Lol. Then yes, it's really fucking worth it.

 

I'll give my 2 cents on the two main aspects (pvp and pve) on the games in question(Halo 5, Destiny, and CoD Blops3) on the Xbox.

If you're looking for great co-op pve content then Destiny really cannot be beat. The strikes and raids are fun and there are a lot of single player missions in the full destiny game. The only thing that I find that really sucks about Destiny is that it can be such a chore to find a good raid at the right progression with people who aren't clueless. A lot of the good players have moved on to new games at this point so I'm finding raiding to not be worthwhile. The rest of the content though is still great fun.

I found the Halo 5 campaign to be a lot of fun, but a lot of people didn't think it was that great. The Ai for your squadmates is pretty bad and the story has a few elements that feel like a bit of a reach but the action sequences are great, the weapons/gunplay is sweet, and the whole thing is graphically beautiful.

I haven't played Black Ops 3 campaign yet.

Regarding PvP Halo is easily the best of the three in my opinion. Destiny PvP in my opinion is in large part based around who has their super up and who doesn't. The gameplay otherwise doesn't offer anything that you can't get in last year's CoD. The new blops 3 PvP I haven't played a lot of yet but there are issues with their netcode that fucks with the experience.. ie being killed by someone who is shooting 90 degrees away from you and looks like they don't even see you. Halo 5 has a lot of new pvp experiences in warzone (awesome imo) and some new mechanics that I like in clamber and the way they implemented the thruster packs.

If you live in the US you can get Blops 3 for $30 today at the microsoft store, and I think Halo 5 and Destiny are on sale too.

 

I went to PlayStation Experience this past weekend (I live in SF) and tried out the sparrow racing. It's actually very polished and well-done, and I think it'll be really fun to play with friends (you can queue up with a group of six people). That being said, there are only two racetracks (an easier one on Mars and a harder one on Venus), which will probably get stale after a bit. That's probably why the event lasts for only 3 weeks. One of the vidocs they had playing seemed to indicate that Bungie will invest more resources into SRL if there's positive feedback from the community.

Completely disagree about the supers. They're definitely a powerful element that can turn games around, but they can also be countered. e.g. sniping someone mid-super is probably one of the most satisfying feelings I've had while playing Crucible. In general, I really like Crucible because all the weapons and abilities feel great to use. Even though a meta inevitably develops, there's still a ton of variety and room for someone to find their personal play style.

To be honest, the core gameplay being great is probably what kept most people playing (PvE and PvP) back when the game was initially released and there were a ton of issues. There are still issues, but Bungie's done a pretty good job at addressing complaints and responding to community feedback.

 

Lol, flame hammer can't be countered, what are these lies?!

 

Due to some work commitments i stopped playing just before The Taken King was released. I had 3 34s and was most of the way to collecting all the year 1 exotics. How long would it take to get back to end game stuff and how much of my gear is now worthless?

 

Approximately all of your gear is now worthless. A few weeks to get back up to speed if you have a group to play with or know how to use lfg sites.

 

Man, they're so much weaker now; I love it.

What do you all think of SRL?

 

Today I faced two HammerTitans whilst I was in radiance and manage to kill them both. Oh I was so pleased.:fire

SRL is fun but if there were powerups a la mario kart Destiny would be GOTY for the next ten years. SRL makes me yearn for local co-op even more than ever.

 

I got this game a few days after it came out, levelled to 24 light then quit after a month because I didn't have the time or patience to deal with its bullshit loot systems.

I saw TTK on sale a few weeks ago and picked it up because I heard it had improved and then proceeded to put a 100 and a bit hours into it. Played through TDB and was massively disappointed, HOW was slightly better but TTK has made the game better in every way. Loot and drops are pretty good, pvp is fun, strikes are fun and rewarding, especially the new ones. I love this game.
Now I'm LL 297 and because I can't do the raid or ToO, I'm grinding that heroic vanguard strikes for those incremental stat boosts.

Any of you guys play actively?

 

I used to, but haven't since this summer. Destiny is great fun, but also a huge time sink.

 

Time sink is right! I've spent an ungodly amount of time on it. Though I'm slowly running out of things to do. Atleast on my main. Might have to do all the grind again on 2 other characters.

 

If you're running out of things to do then you're not doing it right. Hell, I focused entirely on my Titan ever since TTK came out and still the content was too much for me.

That is assuming that you raid consistently, and generally do end game content (including at least a token effort at PvP).

There's no excuse not to raid btw. Raids are the best part of this game. Cooperation is what makes this (and all MMO games, really) game great, and the raid takes six people and places them in a situation where flawless cooperation is literally the only way to victory.

'I don't have a group' is not an excuse either, since destinylfg is a thing.

 

I really do want to do the raid. The problem isn't even in finding a group etc. It's that my ps4 is in a communal area and it's hard for me to get some time where I can talk on a mic etc with no distractions. I'll either have to do it late at night when every ones sleep or wait a few months till I move out and the situation improves.

It's less not having things to do and more becoming less interested in the same content over and over. PvP is fun and keeps me interested though so there's that.

 

A succesful raid can take quite a while. Especially if you're new (etc, you'll probably not be taken in by a fully geared group willing to carry you) it might take a while. That's part of the reason why it's such a huge time sink. The raid can take forever to complete. That's not always the case, of course, as a competent group and (with some luck) knock them down fairly quickly (less than an hour for near-perfect runs).

Keep in mind that the raid functions in 'save points' them being the various loot drop points, so you can do the raid in parts, though it gets harder to find groups for the midway parts.

Doing it at night is possible if you're not one of those people who can't control their volume when they get excited.

/is one of those people

If you're looking for fun things to do, there's always something. Redo one of the older raids (they really hold up), do strikes, get a group for PoE, even. Variks' voice never gets old. Put weird restrictions on your weapon usage or mobility, whatever.

The biggest draw, however, is grouping up with other people and actively talking to them. That's where most of the fun comes from. Shooting something something is always more fun if you're sharing the experience.

 

I did a bunch of the old strokes not too long ago actually. Always have time for some sepkis prime. But they don't really hold up mechanically to the new 4 and Taniks has always been kind to me 3oC wise.
I actually did have a try at VoG back when it came out so I'm somewhat familiar with that mechanic. Also dying lots.
I suppose I can try it at night. Noise won't be an issue, I'm pretty understated.
PoE is enjoyable and I need to get around to doing its special modes. Specially Skolas
Yeah the few such experiences I've had have always been good. Even if we lost 3 trial games in a row. gg

 

You can't progress beyond 300 that way so you're treading water. Without Raiding(easier and quicker), Iron Banner, past SLR/Crimson Doubles events and "very" unlikely Nightfalls you won't get over the hump.

I was in your situation and didn't do Raid KF for a few months. I got closer to 300 and then skipped over 300 with Iron Banner's gear, 310 artifact and 310+ ghosts. A few exotic engrams then also dropped at 310 and I did the Raid around 305. 311+ was quick and with challenge mode filling up to 320 is only a matter of doing it each week.

You should farm exotic engrams(3oC on Taken bosses every 3rd try, Cosmodrome and Venus seems to be the best position, Mars hardly ever drops anything for me), 3oC farming by strikes(not that efficient but improves your game) and buy *NON* legendary exotic engrams from Xur as much as possible when available.

Store them until you're 301+ and then 311+ for maybe/sure 310 drops.

If duplicates drop fuel them into your legendary equipment. Don't waste them on infusing exotic armor/weapons until you have nothing better to do with them. *Only* decode at Xur with your highest light gear equipped.

If you really want to enjoy Destiny's endgame visit "the100.io" to get comfortable playing in a fireteam. This week's Nightfall is quite easy and I would try to look for a session there.

Join some Sherpa Raid game sessions and look for ones people want a "chill"/"fun" experience run by people with a lot karma.

Avoid "want to be as quick as possible" and anything which looks like a control freak is running the show. That can easily ruin your experience.

 

I'll second the recommendation of using "the100.io". It's a great way to find people that have the same availability/play style as you. Destinylfg can also be a great resource, there are plenty of people willing to sherpa lower light level players through activities and teach the mechanics properly.

I've also gotten involved with some of the communities that have grown around several of the destiny twitch streamers. That's treated me very well and might be something worth looking into as well.

 

There is an app specifically for finding groups to play with in Destiny. LFG.net. I play fairly often, sitting a little over 300 light on my warlock. I have a hunter with lower light though. Crit Romney II is my GT on xbox one.

 

Got bored, started looking at some of the Destiny lore threads to see what new stories and pieces people have put together. Current idea I love is that it wasn't the Darkness or anything like that that wounded the Traveler but instead Rasputin who did it. Nice theory that Rasputin realized the only thing that could drive back the Darkness was the very essence of the Traveler's light. It wasn't certain if the Traveler would try to leave again like it had with other races or if it would even fight, so Rasputin turned all its weaponry upon it and cut the Traveler open, creating a wave of light to push back the Darkness.

Also nicely ties into why Rasputin doesn't trust the Guardians and the idea of the Awoken being created by the combined powers of the Darkness and the Traveler.

 

Yeah destiny actually has some really nice lore, if you're willing to read the grimoire for it. The traveller trying to run away and Rasputin stopping it is a pretty nice theory that ties in and explains a lot.